Yahoo Lifestyle Study Says Duchess Is No Style Icon
She may have just employed a new stylist, but Kate Middleton is not the style icon she's made out to be, says a new study.
According to researchers at the University of Southern California, the Duchess has been losing her style status for some time, with British and American respondents referring to her as "likeable" but not a style icon.
"[Middleton's] influence is not what it's being made to be and, in the eyes of the modern woman in both the U.S. and the U.K., she's not heralded in that way," researcher and University of Southern California marketing professor Jeetendr Sehdev told WWD. "Does she even deserve the title of style icon? The answer is no, because she doesn't measure on the criteria of the style icon."
So what does one need to do to rate as a style icon? Sehdev says they need the following five attributes: 1) a definitive sense of style, 2) a sense of confidence, 3) a certain timelessness that can keep modern, 4) a fierce independence, and 5) a dose of provocativeness.
According to respondents, Middleton may possesses timelessness, but she certainly doesn't have a sense of "fierce independence" or a dose of provactiveness (though her new stylist may be changing that).
In Middleton's defense, she does have a number of fashion rules she needs to adhere to (can you imagine wearing a crop top in front of the Queen? No).
"It seems like she's kind of being dressed or is dressing for a nation," Sehdev added.
On the flipside, the majority of the respondents consider Michelle Obama as a style icon for her daring choices.
"She's nobody's right hand, she's a person unto herself and that really scores highly when it comes to how that translates to fashion...It's not about being the perfect princess anymore," said Sehdev.
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